3 dead, 179 injured in Istanbul after jet has 'rough landing' in rainy weather

Three people were killed and 179 were injured when a plane broke into three pieces after it slammed into a runway at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport while attempting to land on Wednesday evening. The crash landing happened amid rainy and windy weather.

Turkey’s Transport Minister Mehmet Cahit Turhan referred to the incident as a “rough landing,” according to Reuters.

Rescue members and firefighters work after a plane skidded off the runway at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport, Istanbul, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020. A plane skidded off the runway Wednesday at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport, crashing into a field and breaking into pieces. Passengers were seen evacuating through cracks in the plane and authorities said at least 21 people were injured. (DHA via AP)

Out of the 183 passengers, three fatalities were confirmed on Wednesday night, according to the Associated Press.

The New York Times reported that Turkish news media footage showed passengers climbing out of the wreckage and onto the plane’s wing.

Rescue members work after a plane skidded off the runway at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020. A plane skidded off the runway Wednesday at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport, crashing into a field and breaking into pieces. Passengers were seen evacuating through cracks in the plane and authorities said at least 21 people were injured. (AP Photo)

The cause of the crash is unclear at this time, but unsettled weather was present at the airport at the time of the incident. According to FlightRadar24, the plane landed at 6:19 p.m. local time.

“Rain and thunderstorms moved across the area from 5:20 p.m. to 7 p.m. local time,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Eric Leister said.

“A wind gust near 40 mph (65 km/h) was reported at the airport at 6:20 p.m. local time,” Leister added. This was right around the time that the plane crashed at the airport.

The plane was attempting to land in strong tailwinds, the same winds that had forced two other previous flights to delay landing, according to Turkish news media via Reuters.

Visibility was around 4.5 miles with clouds around 5,000 feet above the ground, Leister said, adding that “temperatures were well above freezing in the area [at the time of the crash].”

The airport was closed for a time immediately following the crash and flights were diverted to other airports.

“Showers may mix with snow before ending on Thursday,” Leister said.

source: yahoo.com